Iatrogenic nerve injury can result in debilitating loss of function in humans. Common causes of iatrogenic nerve injury include surgical failure, traction or pressure lesions, hematoma, or inadequate positioning of the patient (Fercan Komurcu, MD et al., 2005, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 54(2):135-139).
For example, nerves are often imaged during prostatectomy procedures. By way of background, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in American men. One common treatment option is removal of cancerous prostate tissue (i.e., prostatectomy) before the cancer spreads locally and before metastasis. Radical prostatectomy complications include incontinence and impotence. A significant percentage of men undergoing radical prostatectomy procedures become impotent due to injury to the cavernous nerves during the surgery.
The risk of iatrogenic nerve injury may be reduced by avoiding injury to the bundles of nerves that run along the surface of the prostate gland and are needed for an erection. Successful nerve sparing surgery, however, is often difficult to achieve because of the difficulty in distinguishing between the prostate tissue and the innervating nerve tissue.
There exists a need for improved imaging methods and compositions for nerve imaging.